386 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap. A thick fog came on after we returned on board. 

 w ~A~> The next morning we closed with the land near 

 A i826*' Cape Beaufort, with a view of trying the veins of 

 coal in its neighbourhood, as we were very short of 

 that article; but the wind veered round to the 

 N. N. W., and by making it a lee shore prevented 

 the boats landing, and rendered it expedient for the 

 ship, which was very light, and hardly capable of 

 beating off, to get an offing. The day was fine, 

 and afforded an opportunity of verifying some of 

 our points, which we had the satisfaction to find 

 quite correct, The next day the wind veered to 

 the S. S. W. and then to the westward. Through- 

 out the 23d, 24th, and part of the 25th, it blew 

 hard, with a short head sea, thick weather, and lat- 

 terly with snow showers, which obliged the ship to 

 keep at so great a distance that the land expedition 

 would have passed her unobserved, had they been 

 in progress along the coast. With these winds 

 we kept off the coast. The night of the 25th 

 was clear and cold, with about four hours' darkness, 

 during which we beheld a brilliant display of the 

 aurora borealis, which was the first time that phe- 

 nomenon had been exhibited to us in this part of 

 the world. It first appeared in an arch extending 

 from W. by N. to N. E. mag. (by the north), passing- 

 through Benetnasch, |3. y. Ursse Maj. and |3. Auriga?, 

 decidedly dimming their lustre. The arch, shortly 

 after it was formed, broke up ; but united again, 

 threw out a few coruscations, and then entirely dis- 

 appeared. Soon after, a new display began in the 

 direction of the western foot of the first arch, pre- 

 ceded by a bright flame, from which emanated co- 

 ruscations of a pale straw-colour. An almost simul- 



